Household utility jack



Oct. 27, 1959 E. SCHULTZ HOUSEHOLD UTILITY JACK Filed Aug. 2, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 27, 1959 E. SCHULTZ 2,910,270 HOUSEHOLD UTILITY JACK Filed Aug. 2, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 8 t I a; .16 ZZEQJZ B INVENTOR.

ni S ate P e HOUSEHOLD UTILITY JACK Edward Schultz, Chicago, Ill. Application August 2, 1954, Serial No. 447,242

3 Claims. 01. 254-98) This invention is concerned generally with a household tool or device, and more particularly with a jack specifically adapted for household purposes.

Substantial forces often must be exerted around the home for a variety of purposes. For example, it is often necessary to lift the end of a heavy article of furniture such as a piano or book case loaded with books. At other times windows of the conventional double-hung sash type will stick due to swelling with wet weather or due to painting, and it is extremely diflicult to open the windows without causing damage to the sash.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a force applying device, specifically a jack, of suitable size and characteristics for household use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a small jack for household use which will fit under extremely low articles or projections thereon.

A further object of this invention is to provide a household jack having a flat lifting surface especially adapted to lift articles of furniture and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a household jack which is frictionally self-locking in any position of adjustment.

Another object of this invention is to provide a household jack having a screw lifting device with a non-circular fitting at the top thereof, and a detachable ratchet Wrench for cooperation therewith to rotate the screw.

A further object of this invention is to provide a household jack operable by means of a detachable ratchet wrench provided with labels indicating the position the wrench should be held for raising or for lowering the lifting member of the jack.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide, in a household jack having a screw lifting device, a simplified and improved bearing rotatably journaling the screw and receiving the axial thrust thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a lifting member having an'upturned flange at the rear thereof with partial threads therein cooperating with the screw to provide a bearing surface without damaging the screw threads. i

'A stillfurther' object of this invention is to provide a household jack having a handle for positioning the jack. Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing my jack lifting the corner of a book case;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the jack lifting the leg of a piano;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a pair of my jacks lifting a stuck window;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the jack and Window handle as taken substantially along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3;

i Fig; 5 is a perspective view of a household jack conh 2,910,270 Patented Oct. 27, 1959 ice structed in accordance with the principles of my invention;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view through the jack and taken from one side thereof substantially along the line 6-6 in Fig. 7;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the line 77 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view looking toward the rear of the jack as taken substantially along the line 8-8 in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the lifting member;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view of one side of the ratchet wrench for operating the jack; and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a modified operating handle.

Reference first to Figs. 1-4 will give a proper impression of the size of a jack constructed in accordance with my invention, as well as some common uses thereof. The jack measures slightly over 6 inches to the top of the body in a preferred embodiment, and is substantially 7 inches in height over-all including the upwardly projecting end of the operating member or screw. The height of the lifting member is adjustable from less than /2 inch to nearly 5% inches, thus providing an operating range of substantially 4% inches. Throughout the drawings and the following description the jack is identified by the numeral 10, and in Fig. 1 the jack may be seen positioned beneath one end of a book case 11 to raise the book case such as for sliding a rug 13 beneath the book case. A rug or carpet could be placed against the wall. by lifting the end of the book case or other furniture with the jack, gathering enough rug or carpet under the book case to reach the wall, dropping the book case to the floor, and again lifting it with the jack on the rug or carpet.

Reference to Fig. 2 shows that the jack 10 may be used to lift a piano 15 for placing a cup or pad 19 beneath the caster. In this instance the lifting member of the jack fits readily beneath the end of the leg adjacent the caster.

The common and well-known double-hung sash Windows often stick due to swelling with wet weather, or from painting, or for other reasons. My jack can be used for moving the sash to open such windows, and this preferably is accomplished by using two jacks 10 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, one beneath each handle 15 of the window 17. It will be appreciated that if the window is left partially open after painting, the lifting member of the jack can be inserted beneath the bottom of the sash, rather than under the window handles.

It will be appreciated that these are but a few typical examples of the uses to which my small and compact household jack may be put. Countless additional uses will quickly occur to the housewife or anyone else using the jack about the house.

The jack 10 (Figs. 5-10) comprises a substantially flat base 12 of sheet metal construction having the periphery thereof struck down to form a supporting rim 14 spaced below the main portion or body 16 of the base. The central rear portion 18 also is struck down, but is at a higher elevation than the supporting rim 14. A dimple 20 comprising substantially a spherical section is struck down from the depressed portion 18 a greater distance to form a bearing as will be brought out fully hereinafter.

A standard 22 upstands from the base 12 and comprises a channel having substantially a C-shaped cross section, being provided with a back wall or web 24, side walls or flanges 26, and inturned edge flanges or runners 28 in spaced apart, confronting relation. The flanges and web of the standard are provided at their lower ends with lugs 30 projecting through suitable slots in the depressed portion 18of the base, and bent over'beneath this portion, the bottom of the standard being received neatly in this depressed portion.

The standard '22 is provided at the top with a cap 32 of generally the same outline as the standard (preferably square) and having depending edge flanges 34 and a depending central bearing flange 35. A pair of lugs 36 on the side flanges 26 project upwardly through suitable slots in the cap and are swaged or peened outwardly to hold the cap on the standard.

A screw or operating member 38 is disposed within the standard and has a rounded lower end 4% generally complementary in configuration to the bearing dimple 243 (preferably a spherical section) and received in this bearing. The screw is threaded throughout most of its length and is provided at its top portion with a reduced diameter cylinder 42 rotatably received in the bearing flange 35 of the cap 32. A washer 44 is press-fitted about the cylinder 42 directly at the top of the screw threads, and a coil spring 46 encircling this cylinder is compressed between the washer and the under side of the cap.

The spring serves two important functions. It eliminates the necessity for precise manufacturing tolerances by holding the rounded bearing tip 4t? of the screw down against bearing dimple 29 regardless of wide variations in relative height of the screw and the standard, such height as previously noted being on the order of 6 inches in a preferred embodiment. Additionally, the spring serves frictionally to hold the screw in any desired position of'adjustment.

The screw is provided at the upper end of the reduced diameter cylinder 42 with a non-circular section 4-8 which preferably is square. This section provides for rotating the screw as will be apparent hereinafter.

A lifting member 53 is provided and comprises an angle-shaped body member 52 including a substantially square plate or bed 54 and a flange 56 upturned from the rear edge of the bed. The lifting member 52 further includes a tongue 58 projecting forwardly from the body and separated therefrom by a pair of opposed notches 60 forming a restricted neck portion 62, the tongue 58 being displaced downwardly from the bed 54 mainly through the restricted neck portion 62.

The bed 54 is provided with a threaded aperture 64 receiving the screw 38 with the body 52 slidably received in the standard 26. The front wall of the flange 56 is provided with partial threads 65 whereby the flange may serve as a bearing surface preventing undue strain on the threads in the bed without dulling or otherwise damaging the threads of the screw. The edge flanges or runners 28 are received in the notches till best to position the lifting member.

The jack is provided with a handle 68 for sliding the jack into operating position. The handle comprises a generally U-shaped section of wire having inturned confronting ends 7 received in a central ridge 72 of a plate 73 welded to the rear wall or web 24 of the standard 22. The handle thus is attached to the jack for pivotal up and down movement, but cannot move sidevwise relative to the jack, thereby providing for facile positioning of the jack.

The jack is provided with an operating handle 74 in the form of a ratchet wrench. The wrench is of the type freely available in commerce having an open-ended socket 76 at one end thereof. This socket is provided with a plurality of radially inwardly projecting splines or axially elongated teeth 78, and is governed by a ratchet mechanism in the handle turning the socket with the handle in one direction, but allowing the socket to remain stationary when the handle is turned in the opposite direction.

The operating handle 74 is provided with labels 8%) and 82 on its opposite flat surface. The label 80 reads Up, and this label is to be held in position so that it can be read, iLe. this side of the wrench must be held up, when the wrench or operating handle is placed over the square section 48 when it is desired to raise the jack. In short, the housewife or other operator will read the word Up when she wants the lifting member to come up and to raise an article of furniture or the like up. The wrench will be effective only to raise the jack when in this position, as the ratchet will slip if the wrench is turned in the wrong direction. It will be appreciated that the handle will be turned continuously to raise the jack, or that it can be ratcheted back and forth if there is insufiicient clearance for continuous turning of the wrench or operating handle.

Conversely, the label 82 reads Down. It will be obvious that the label 82 must be in the top or readable position when it is desired to lower the jack, i.e. to move the lifting member and an article of furniture or the like down.

A modified handle is shown in Fig. 11. The jack remains the same as before, being identified by the numeral 10a, except that the upstanding end 48a of the screw is not designed for receipt of a wrench. Instead, cylindrical bores are provided diametrically opposite to one another in the end 48 (they may be formed directly in the end of the screw rod, or in a sleeve welded thereto) and receive the inturned ends of an otherwise generally U-shaped handle 86 made of round wire. The handle may be turned continuously, or if furniture is in the way, the handle may be turned substantially to abut the furniture, and then pivoted about the inturned ends 84 to flop over to a position displaced for further turning.

Various uses for my jack heretofore have been disclosed, such as lifting the end of a book case, the leg of a piano, or other heavy articles, or opening stuck windows. It will be apparent that the jack disclosed is capable of elfecting these and other force applying operations with considerable efliciency. The jack is small, rigid, and easily handled. The construction of the lifting member and its cooperation with the remainder of the jack allows it to be lowered to an extremely low elevation for fitting under low articles, while the flat surface of the lifting member allows articles of furniture or the like to be lifted without damage.

The detachability of the operating handle or wrench simplifies storage and allows a simple ratchet mechanism to be used, while the labels Up and Down makes it readily apparent even to the most mechanically unskilled persons the position in which the wrench or operating handle should be applied to the jack.

The jack is of economical construction, being made mostly of sheet metal plus a steel rod for the screw, the lifting member being preferably made of cast or pressed steel or other suitable metal. The dimple forming the lower bearing, serving mainly as a thrust bearing, is extremely simple and easy to fabricate, while the spring at the upper end of the screw holds the screw firmly seated in this bearing and also allows large manufacturing tolerances. Furthermore, the spring provides a friction lock holding the screw and the lifting member in any desired position of adjustment.

The specific structure herein shown and described is to be understood to be by way of illustration only. Various changes will doubtless occur to those skilled in the art, and are to be considered as forming a part of this invention insofar as they fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A household utility jack comprising a base, a standard in the form of a channel upstanding from said base, said base having a bearing with a depressed central portion positioned within the outline of said standard, a screw rotatably mounted in said channel-shaped standard and having a lower end received in said bearing, a lifting member threadedly associated with said screw for up and down movement along said standard, said standard having a top and said screw having an abutment spaced beneath said top, and a spring within said standard and compressed between said top andsaid abutment for holding the screw in any desired position of adjustment and for holding the lower end of said screw at all times prop-' base having a substantially peripheral rim and a central body portion raised therefrom, said central body portion having a depressed standard receiving section having a further depressed bearing generally in the shape of a spherical segment, a standard upstanding from said base and having its lower end received in said standard receiving section, a lifting member movable up and down along said standard, a screw for moving said lifting member up and down along said standard, said screw being mounted in said standard and having a rounded lower end received in said depressed bearing and transferring vertical thrust to said bearing, said screw above said bearing being restrained only laterally, and spring means resiliently urging said rounded lower screw end into said bearing.

3. A household utility jack comprising a base, a standard upstanding from said base and having a housing at its upper end, a screw rotatably mounted in said standard and journaled at both ends respectively in said base and housing, and a lifting member movable up and down said standard, said lifting member having a substantially 'flat plate-like member having a portion carried within said standard and a portion projecting laterally outwardly therefrom, the inner portion having a threaded aperture therein receiving said screw for moving said lifting member up and down upon rotation of said screw, and a flange upstanding from the innermost end of the inner portion, said flange having partial threads formed therein and engaging the threads of said screw whereby to serve as a radial bearing against said screw without damaging the threads thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 291,791 Slattery Jan. 8, 1884 513,333 Lippincott Ian. 23, 1894 691,061 .Kollock et a1. Jan. 14, 1902 748,658 Sanders Jan. 5, 1904 829,344 Larsen Aug. 21, 1906 1,000,308 Trinque Aug. 8, 1911 1,345,135 Condito June29, 1920 1,795,391 Hansen Mar. 10, 1931 1,798,878 Gormley Mar. 31, 1931 2,043,140 Wilmesherr June 2, 1936 2,075,398 Kunath Mar. 30, 1937 2,502,037 Erikainen Mar. 28, 1950 2,555,336- Hagely June 5, 1951 2,731,232 Lucker Jan. 17, 1956- 2,750,150 1956 Lucker I une 12, 

